World Cup 2014: Time for change in Germany as Joachim Löw gives new players openings - but not Stefan Kießling

Change afoot in Germany as coach turns to young talent and fresh legs while
still downplaying side's 'favourites' tag in Brazil

On the lookout: Joachim Löw has been giving new players a look in ahead of World Cup but is still overlooking Stefan Kießling

By Randall Hauk, World Cup Nation: Germany

1:36PM GMT 26 Mar 2014

"On paper, of course we have a top team. But the reality, right now, looks a little bit different.”

These words from Germany manager Joachim Löw came shortly before his team delivered a lacklustre performance in Stuttgart against Chile. Despite victory, public perception of Löw’s continued downplaying of Germany’s role as World Cup favourites has moved from “He’s trying to relieve the pressure of high expectations” to “Mein Gott! Germany may not get out of this group!”

Whatever your own thoughts on Germany’s chances in Brazil, you must have noticed by now that Löw’s concerns about his World Cup squadare growing ever more urgent as summer approaches.

Prior to the November friendly with England, Löw had addressed lingering injury issues to his two long-time strikers, Miroslav Klose and Mario Gomez, by stating that no player should expect to “automatically” gain a spot on the team.

The idea of “no free tickets” naturally appeals, but was also dismissed with a laugh by many fans of the Nationalelf, knowing of Löw’s adherence, by and large, to the same tactics and the same squad selection without adjustment to address the constant evolution of the game or fading form of particular players.

Perhaps no story illustrated Löw’s personnel philosophies than the saga surrounding Bayer Leverkusen’s Stefan Kießling, the Bundesliga’s top goalscorer of the 2012-13 season who remained invisible to the German head coach, even as attractive and healthy options grew thin. The matter became an emblem of Löws stubborn unwillingness to consider making changes: the more it became increasingly clear Kießling was perhaps the best German striker, the more Löw seemed determined to ignore him.

Whether Löw’s hand was forced by injuries or it’s a legitimate signal there are changes afoot, there was a general sense of pleasant surprise when the most-recent squad was announced with four debutants: Striker Pierre-Michel Lasogga (Hamburger SV), right wing Andre Hahn (FC Augsburg), and defenders Matthias Ginter (SC Freiburg) and Shkodran Mustafi (Sampdoria of Serie A).

The Mustafi selection was particularly notable, as the 21 year-old was a virtual unknown in his home country before his selection was announced. The speedy Hahn is a fast-running and faster-rising star in the Bundesliga, but was toiling in the obscurity of Germany’s third tier just 15 months ago and, hence, largely assumed to be off the national-team radar.

Only Ginter entered the match, and that was as a last-minute substitute. Lasogga suffered injury during training and returned to Hamburg before kick-off. Hahn and Mustafi were left on the bench to hope a new philosophy in Löw’s Germany is taking root and bringing with it more opportunities for emerging players.

And sitting in front of televisions across Germany, a nation of anxious fans hoped with them, because, as Löw also said before the Chile match, “the clock is ticking.”